Political Scientist Edward Mansfield Receives Award for Book Examining Why Emerging Democracies Go to War
January 2007Edward Mansfield, the Hum Rosen Professor of Political Science, has received the Joseph Lepgold Prize for the best book on international relations published in 2005 for his book Electing to Fight: Why Emerging Democracies Go to War. In his book, Mansfield and coauthor Jack Snyder observe that nations that attempt the changeover from authoritarian regimes to democracy without a strong judicial system, professional news media, organized political parties and other institutions are unlikely to complete the transition. American foreign policy and President Bush‘s strategy in Iraq hold that promoting the spread of democracy will promote world peace and security, but Mansfield contests that without institutions of accountability in place, the way to “democratic peace” is a perilous one.
Created in memory of Joseph S. Lepgold, this prize is awarded annually by the Mortara Center for International Studies in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government of Georgetown University. Recipients are chosen based on their exceptional contribution to the study of international relations and international security studies.